Magnus Terra Chronicles: Rise of the Dark King
by BlueJeanne
Summary: Magnus Terra was falling apart, courtesy of an insanely powerful king. His secret weapon threatens to wipe out the entire world. The leaders of the world come together to bring down the mad tyrant. However, unexpected complications lead to the next generation taking matters into their own hands. Rated T for violence. AU.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** **Hello! This is me presenting my newest story! It's my first non-oneshot, too! I hope you enjoy it, dear readers. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not and will never own Fairy Tail. All recognizable characters belong to the great Hiro Mashima.  
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It was a cool night. The castle was quiet. The moon rose high in the sky, illuminating the rooms through the glass windows. Everything was at peace. But behind the closed eyes of the Queen, oblivious to her husband sleeping soundly beside her, a whole world of anger and war ravaged in her mind.

The Queen's beautiful features were etched in pain. She tried to wake, but her eyes stayed shut. She was forced to watch the horrible events unfolding in her dreams.

_Flames devoured everything as far as the eye could see..._

_Structures that were once beautiful collapsed to the ground in a heap of ash and rubble..._

_People screaming and running from hideous winged creatures that threatened to devour them..._

_A looming shadow rose over the chaos, and a deafening cry shook the earth..._

_A young blonde girl in a shredded gown was crying, tongues of flames surrounding her, and she was whispering..._

"_Help me."_

The Queen sat straight up, and she realized that hot tears filled her eyes. She heard a creak, and the door opened, revealing a small figure with sleepy brown eyes. The queen forgot her troubles instantly.

"Mommy?" said a small voice.

The Queen stood up and crouched in front of her daughter. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Can I sleep with you and daddy tonight?"

The Queen smiled softly. "Of course you can, dear."

The child gave a delighted grin and made her way to the giant bed, crawling under the thick sheets. The Queen followed after her and lay down on the mattress beside the happy child. She hugged her daughter close to her. She stroked her daughter's hair.

"Did you have a bad dream, sweetie?"

The girl shook her head. "I didn't have a bad dream, mommy. You did," the Queen was startled. "That's why I'm here to chase mommy's bad dreams away."

The Queen felt tears come to her eyes. She wrapped her arms tightly around her child. "Thank you," she whispered.

The girl yawned and cuddled closer to her mother. "Good night, mommy."

"Good night, Lucy," the Queen kissed her daughter lightly on her head. She closed her eyes, and the horrible images of disaster were replaced by a smiling young girl with bright brown eyes.


	2. Chapter 1: Children of Dragons

**A/N: I'll be posting my author's notes at the end of the fic from now on, so that you can start reading right away. Anyway, keep in mind that this is an Alternate Universe fic, so details like the age of the characters aren't exactly like the manga/anime.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. All recognizable characters belong to Hiro Mashima.**

**On with the show! :D**

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"GOOD MORNING FIORE!"

All the servants in the Saurian Citadel flinched at the loud voice and hurriedly scrambled to their places. They stood protectively in front of various precious antiques, vases and glassware and others. They were armed with various cleaning tools and buckets of water.

_Not this time, laddie_, they all thought.

The source of the noise was none other than prince Natsu, followed by Happy, his blue winged cat(Exceed, to be exact). He was on his skateboard, which is the only mode of transportation the prince enjoys riding because of his motion-sickness. God-knows-where the prince gets all that energy from. All they know is that when the young prince was this fired up, it meant a week's renovation and repairing. The servants didn't hate their prince, in fact they were rather fond of him, watching him grow into a fine young man. But the young prince was too destructive for his own good. Heavens, all the antiques he's broken cost a fortune!

"Good morning, everyone!" he greeted as he passed by. "Why so tense?"

As the 15-year-old manoeuvred his way down the vast corridors, his every move was heavily guarded by thorough eyes. He was practically all over the place, so they watched the speeding prince very carefully. Every time he got to close to the wooden shelves, cabinets, or any other valuables, they nudged his board away with a broom or a mop. They were ready to use the buckets to douse fire, which comes from the prince's magic. The prince wasn't bothered at all by this and kept skating, his pale scarf flying behind him.

But the servants missed a tiny detail; the prince was approaching a tiny puddle of water that probably spilled from one of the buckets. The wheels reached the liquid, and the prince lost control of his skateboard.

"W-whoa!" the prince shouted. "Watch out!"

"Prince Natsu!" the servants cried.

The servants tried to chase him, but he was too fast! He was about to crash into one of the century-old urns...

Then as quick as lightning, a figure stepped in front of the speeding teen, stopping him completely. He gripped the groaning boy on the back of his jacket with one strong hand, his skateboard on the other.

"Natsu," growled a deep voice. The maids and butlers heaved a sigh of relief, wiping off sweat from their foreheads. Lord Igneel could take care of this better than anyone. They bowed their heads as the large man with crimson hair and a long flowing cape passed by, still holding his son by his clothes. He gruffly put his son back down on the floor. "How many times have I told you to STOP SKATING AROUND THE CASTLE?!" He whacked the boy's head. "You're 15 for crying out loud!" He forgot to mention 'early in the morning'. The sun had barely risen.

"Ow," The young prince winced in pain as he rubbed the back of his pink head. "Sorry, dad. I lost count after 705."

"I think this is number 734," remarked Happy. Happy has been with Natsu since he was 6, when he found an egg in a cave during one of his and Igneel's hiking trips together.

The Noble sighed. "What am I going to do with you?" he murmured to himself. "Natsu, I have just one favour to ask of you," he said. He lowered his voice, and placed a heavy hand on his son's shoulders. "Very important visitors are coming today. We surely wouldn't want to give them a foul impression of ourselves. I need you to be on your best behaviour, and you know what that means."

Natsu rolled his eyes. "I won't run around, I won't shout, I won't eat all the food, and I won't damage the palace," he deadpanned. _Sheesh, I feel like a 4-year-old_.

Igneel smiled. "There, not that hard is it?" he patted his son's shoulder. "Happy, make sure he does what he just said to do."

The Exceed saluted. "Aye, sir!"

"Good," Igneel straightened. He returned the skateboard to his son. "Run along now. Your mother and I will see you this afternoon for lunch." With that, he walked away.

Natsu huffed, put down his skateboard and he crossed his arms over his chest, his scarf ruffling. "Hmph. The old man still thinks I'm a kid."

"You've just gotta show him you're responsible enough, Natsu," said Happy, alighting on Natsu's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah." Natsu stood for a moment, thinking up things he could do to pass the time. He picked up his board, and after handing it to one of the butlers, started walking. "Come on, Happy. Let's go see Wendy and Gazille."

"Aye!" Happy gleefully cried.

All the members of the Dragon Family lived in Saurian Citadel, the Royal Palace, which is located in Fiore's capital: Magnolia. The Dragon Lords were of royal blood, and have governed the Kingdom of Fiore for centuries. Natsu's father, Igneel, is a Dragon Lord, along with Grandine, his aunt, and Metallicana, his uncle. Legends say that Dragon Lords were descendants of dragons themselves, having the powers comparable to the serpentine beasts of legend. Each of the families lived in separate sections, or wings, of the castle; Igneel's family in the East Wing, Metallicana's family in the West Wing and Grandine's family in the North Wing. There are 4 Wings in all, meant for 4 ruling siblings, the other wing being the South Wing. However, the Dragon Lords that preceded the present died before all siblings were born.

Natsu had always enjoyed spending time with his cousins. Natsu has known Wendy and Gazille for as long as he can remember. Gazille was a year older that him, while Wendy was younger than him by 3 years. They never failed to see each other everyday.

Their usual meeting place was at the Royal Greenhouse, which was separate from the castle. It was connected to the castle by a long bridge leading to the hill neighboring the one Saurian Citadel stood upon. There they would play under the sun, run around with the animals and sleep in the trees. They shared good memories in the glass house. When he finally arrived, he found Wendy sitting quietly on one of the stone benches, reading a large book. Gazille was nowhere to be seen, so Natsu suspected he was sleeping in. Natsu had an idea. He tiptoed to the side until he was behind Wendy.

"Hiya, Wendy!" Natsu shouted.

The blunette jumped in surprise with a squeal, her book falling to the ground. She puffed her cheeks as she slapped Natsu's arm. "Don't scare me like that, Natsu-nii!"

"Hahaha! That look on your face never gets old!" Natsu was laughing as he gripped his stomach.

Wendy was Grandine's daughter. Grandine is Igneel's and Metallicana's younger sister and the Wind Dragon Lord. Her father, Arthur Marvell, was a cartographer and always travels around the world to draw his countless maps. Wendy wants to travel the world with her dad too, which is why when she's not playing with Natsu and Gazille, she always has her nose in almanacs and encyclopedias, reading about faraway lands.

"Natsu, you shouldn't sneak up on Wendy like that," a voice behind him scolded. Natsu turned and found Charle, Wendy's Exceed. She had white fur, and always wore a ribbon on her tail. Wendy found her on the streets when she was a kitten.

"Hi Charle!" Happy greeted. "Here, have some fish!" He pulled out a sardine from the green sack he always carried.

Charle crinkled her nose at the fish and looked away in disgust. "I already told you that I don't eat fish."

"You won't know until you try it," Happy kept pushing the fish towards the white Exceed.

"I don't plan to, thank you very much,' Charle responded, pushing the fish back to Happy.

Ignoring the two's conversation, Natsu turned back to Wendy. "Hey, where's Gazille? Haven't seen him around."

The princess pouted and shook her head. "Me neither."

As if on cue, Gazille entered the greenhouse. "Hey, the coach's here," he pointed behind him with his thumb.

Gazille was Lord Metallicana's son, the Steel Dragon Lord. His mother, Sarah Redfox, was murdered when Gazille was 8 years old. A spy disguised as a butler attempted to poison Metallicana, but ended up killing his wife instead. Gazille has always been easily angered and overprotective since then.

Gazille looked like he hadn't had any sleep for days. His long dark hair was spikier than usual, his voice was rough and his expression was... scary, to say the least.

"Why the long face, Gazille my boy?" Natsu swung an arm around Gazille, a wide grin on his face. "Got up on the wrong side of the bed?"

Gazille roughly shook Natsu's arm away from his body. "Just get to the damn gym."

Natsu backed away with a low whistle. Wendy giggled. The two of them decided not to touch Gazille for a while.

Pantherlily, Gazille's black Exceed, hovered beside Wendy .

"Don't mind him. He's just hungry and throwing a tantrum," he explained.

_Too bad we need to get to the gym first._

A vein popped in Gazille's head but he kept his temper in check. _Damn training. _All he wanted was a decent meal. The sooner he got it, the better.

* * *

The training gym was a large room located in the East corner of the castle, so that the morning sun shone through the windows. It was the only room in the castle with no ornaments. It had a field for running, a center space for sparring, and there were magical tools used for workouts and exercises. But the special feature of the gym were the equipment built for training the young mages.

Natsu has the Fire element, Wendy has the Wind element, and Gazille had the Steel element. These powers are all passed down from one generation to another.

"Natsu! It's your turn to spar!" came the booming voice of their coach; Ur of the Ice.

Ur is a retired mage, but in her days, she was one of the most powerful; one of the High Mages. She even served in the Royal Army for several years. Her magic dealt with ice, which she used to masterfully mould the cold shards into whichever shape she liked and manipulate them. Now, she works as the Martial Arts and Magic teacher of the Dragon Family's children.

"Hey!" Natsu cried. "It was my turn last week!"

"Oh, yeah? Last week was a complete failure! Come up here and do that form again!" commanded Ur. Her short deep blue hair was tied into a short ponytail, making her look fiercer than usual.

"Heh," snickered a dark-haired boy. "Bring it on, Squinty."

"I'd take you on any day, Droopy," Natsu spat back.

Gray Fullbuster was Ur's adopted son, and was just as old as Natsu. His parents died in a disaster that Ur was sent to prevent. Gray was the only survivor that day. The same day Ur decided to retire.

"Get ready," at this, the two took their positions against each other. Both were wearing protective gear, but even with all that, Ur needed to make sure that the boys didn't over-exert themselves.

She clapped, and the two boys sprang into action.

Natsu brought crimson flames to his fist and aimed at Gray, who dodged smoothly under the attack. Knowing that Gray would counter, Natsu crouched and sent a sweeping kick on Gray's legs as he landed, knocking Gray to the ground. Gray hit the floor with a thud, but quickly recovered with more punches, this time with shards of ice backing him up. Natsu was hit by a few flying pieces of ice, but dodged the rest. He jumped, avoiding an incoming wave of ice, and lunged a kick at Gray, which Gray blocked and countered with a punch. Fire and Ice were going all out on each other.

Ur smirked. _Not bad. _She loved to see her students improving everyday. It gave her the drive to teach them more.

"Natsu! Your defences are too weak! Keep up those blockings!" she commanded. "Gray! You're not using Natsu's movements to your advantage! Search for openings!"

This resulted in both boys punching each other in the face. They both fell to the ground with swollen cheeks.

Ur facepalmed. _They still have a long way to go_.

"Gazille!" Ur pointed towards the sparring space. "You're up against Lyon."

The light-haired lad stepped forward, waiting for Gazille to do the same. Lyon Vastia was another of Ur's adopted sons, and her first student. She found him abandoned in the snow, and took him in. He was as old as Gazille.

"Let's get this done," said Lyon.

The two sparred good-naturedly, biding by the rules. Gazille eventually emerged as the victor. Ur nodded in approval. _At least these two are sane enough_.

She turned, and saw Wendy and Ultear running around the track. Ultear was a meter ahead of the young princess.

"You can do it, Wendy-san!" Ultear encouraged. She was younger than Wendy by a year.

"I'm... catching.. up!" Wendy picked up speed and was now running by Ultear's side. Ur could hear the joyous laughter that brought a smile to her lips.

It took a while before Ur started training Ultear. Ultear was her only child. She had such a high amount of magical energy ever since she was little, and Ur had no choice but to keep her in bed until her body adjusted to the power. She had frequent fevers as her magic grew inside her body. When Ur adopted Gray and Lyon, Ultear admired their strength. This lead to her trying to use her magic. Ur saw that it wasn't as unbalanced as before, and took her as a student only two years ago.

"Okay, break time," Ur clapped her hands. She left the children to their own business as she went to get a drink.

Gray approached Natsu. "Hey, I hear you're getting visitors today."

Natsu was taken by surprise by this. In the 8 years he's known Gray, he was usually approached with a rude remark on his sleeve. But this is different. This was one of those rare instances that Gray had a serious conversation with him.

"Yeah, we are," he replied.

Gray looked thoughtful as Natsu said this. Then his face turned sincere. "Have you heard about the attacks up North?" he suddenly said.

Natsu racked his brain. "Now that I think about it, yes. I think I've been hearing rumours."

Gray lowered his voice. "Those aren't rumours. Something serious is going on. Natsu, listen. I heard my mom talking to Commander Gerard a couple days ago."

_Commander Gerard_. Natsu thought. _He was the Commander of Fiore's Royal Army. Sure, Ur used to serve in the military, but she's retired. Why would Commander Gerard visit Ur?_

"What of it?" Natsu asked.

Gray stepped closer, his voice the merest whisper. "I think he's recruiting my mom," Natsu's eyes widened at this. "The army's making its move. I got that gut feeling that a war's coming up."

Natsu felt his heart stop. _A war?_ _Here? But how? When?_

Gray stepped away. For a minute Natsu thought he was sobbing. But when Gray looked back at him, he had a smug look on his face. "Ha, don't you look like a wuss."

Natsu got the point. _I said nothing. This is between you and me._ He let a smirk cross his own features. "At least _I _don't look like a stripper."

Gray looked down, and realized that he stripped down to his boxers. A habit from one of Ur's _unusual_ training techniques."Ack! Not again!"

The others started laughing. "At least I'm not like him," Lyon snickered.

"Uh, Lyon?" Wendy quietly said, looking away from the lad.

Lyon was in his boxers as well.

"NO! I've been infected with Gray Disease!" he cried.

"Heh, check out the pathetic idiots," Gazille said with a smirk.

Natsu reverted back to his thoughts. _Is there really a possible war starting? Why didn't dad say anything? I'm his son, for goodness' sake! A prince! I have a right to know about these!_

"I can't find them anywhere!" Gray yelled in frustration as he searched for his missing clothes.

"If my nii-sans are doing it, then so should I!" Ultear was taking off her jacket as Wendy tried stopping her.

"You're corrupting Ultear's braaaiiin!" Wendy cried.

Natsu decided to push all of his previous thoughts to the back of his head. He needs to stay focused on the present. There are other times to worry about those things.

He was about to kick Gray's butt when Gazille suddenly stopped him from behind. Natsu could feel Gazille's spiked hair on his shoulder as he whispered.

"Tell me everything. Don't think I didn't notice you and Gray's faces as you were talking. Looks to me it was pretty serious."

Natsu sighed. Gazille could be so overprotective at times. He had always taken the position of the 'elder brother' since they were little.

"Yeah, I will."

Gazille let go and cocked his head toward the others. "It seems we have other things to take care of."

Natsu turned his head and saw the rumble going on. Ultear was chasing after Gray and Lyon with Wendy desperately trying to keep them all in control. Natsu grinned and did a full body slam on the near-naked boys. Gazille proceeded to calm down the younger girls.

They punched each other, laughed, and punched each other again. Playing like they always had for years. Their loud laughter filled the gym until—

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU KIDS DOING?!" Ur demanded.

Looks like happy time's over.

* * *

After a good scolding, Ur had them do 'Punishment Squats' for ten minutes. Then they went back to training normally.

"Huddle time, guys," she called. Her students gathered around her. "Now, assignments. Gazille, I want you to work on your footwork. You have the offense and the defence going, but not the speed to execute them properly. Wendy, practice the breathing exercises I taught you. Your lungs are going to need some strengthening for the air I'm sure you'll be able to manipulate soon. Natsu, why don't you practice igniting fire in your arms and legs? You can do attacks with them, but your flames don't have consistency." Ur clapped her hands. "Well, that's all there is for today. See you all tomorrow."

Ur gave a short wave, and walked out. Her children following after. Natsu didn't miss Gray's glance as they left.

When they were alone in the gym, all three of them started walking back to the palace. Happy, Charle and Pantherlily were waiting at the lawn that connected the Palace to the gym.

"Hey!" Happy greeted. He flew and landed on Natsu's shoulder.

"How was practice?" Pantherlily asked. He was sitting on Gazille's shoulder.

"Same old, same old," Gazille replied.

Charle alighted on Wendy's blue head. "Breakfast's almost ready."

"Mmm... I can imagine all the food already," Wendy cooed as she drank water from her bottle. "Oh, Mom said that we're expecting visitors today. Do you have any idea who they are?"

"I heard that it was a family from another country," Gazille replied.

Gazille sent a glance over to Natsu. _Remember what I said_.

Natsu nodded in understanding.

There were 3 dining halls in the Saurian Citadel. The first, called the Feasting Hall, was used for feasts, it could seat around 140 or so people. It was the most elegant in the castle, not to mention the largest. The second one, the Formal Dining Hall, was used for important guests, and it was big enough for 2 dozen people. It was elegantly decorated, but not as much as the Feasting Hall. The third one was simpler, and could seat a dozen people. It was the most casually used.

"Breakfast is ready, young masters," one of the maids said.

"About time," Gazille muttered.

They took their seats at the polished rectangular table. Wendy sat at her favourite place which was at the edge of the table. Gazille sat at the corner to her left, and Natsu sat at the right.

The delicious food was laid out on the table. There were hotcakes and toast, pastries and fruits, syrups and juices. Everything was fresh from the oven and orchards. Gazille was in a better mood after the hearty meal.

"I think we better dress up," Wendy said. They were walking back to their respective Wings. "I have a feeling that we're going to meet some really influential people this afternoon," her eyes sparkled. "Plus, Daddy's coming home today!"

"That's great, Wendy!" Happy exclaimed.

"It's been a long while since I last saw sir Marvell," Pantherlily said.

"Today's going to be a really extraordinary day. I can _feel_ it!" Wendy said happily.

"You can count on that, Wendy," Gazille said. "Things could get interesting." He sent a quick look at Natsu. Natsu nodded in understanding. They reached the center room where the 3 Wings intersected.

"Come on, Wendy," Charles called. "We need to prepare your dress." Wendy ran after her. Gazille and Pantherlily were walking in the opposite direction.

"Okay. See you guys later!" Natsu called out.

"You bet!" Wendy shouted back.

They all went their separate ways, all wondering what was to come.

* * *

An hour later, Natsu was in his room putting on his best attire, which included a deep red coat and dark-coloured slacks. He combed his spiked hair down, which he only did on special occasions, so he looked neat and like the prince he is. His scarf never left its place around his neck. He took one last glance at the mirror, and when he was satisfied, walked out of his huge room. Happy was waiting outside, wearing a black ribbon instead of his green sack. They headed towards the Lobby, which was a large round room on the ground floor.

"I wonder who dad's meeting today," Natsu thought out aloud. His thoughts were racing back and forth in his head like they did a while ago at the gym.

"Maybe Gazille's right and they're from another country," Happy commented.

_Or foreign warriors, _Natsu thought. He shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking about these things.

"Anything wrong, Natsu?" Happy asked.

"Gah, walking is too boring," Natsu complained, masking his slight fear of what might happen from his friend. As his eyes scanned the hall in front of him, a grin made its way to his face. In a second, he was running.

"Haha, you're always—wait, Natsu!" Happy yelled as he tried catching up with the prince.

Natsu kept running. _Surely no one's gonna see me do it, except Happy, of course._

"Come on, Happy!" he called behind him. "Just a little ride!"

His hand met the rounded top of the staircase newel, and he swung himself up so that he was sitting on the smooth wooden handrail. He felt like he was 5 again as he slid down the spiralling wood. Happy was following after him, sliding on the polished cedar as well.

"Weee!" Happy joyfully cheered.

"WOOHOO!" Natsu had his eyes shut and his hands in the air. The troubles he was fretting on were washed out completely from his head.

"Natsu, look out!" Happy cried behind him.

"Wha—?"

Natsu's eyes flew open and saw the shadow of someone he was about to crash into at the end of the stairs. He could stop, but he was already near the edge of the handrail. His hands automatically moved forward as he flew off the railing. His eyes shut themselves once more as he braced himself.

"KYAAA!" came a high-pitched voice.

"AAAH!" Natsu yelled as he slid off the handrail.

Natsu felt himself collide with someone, and instinct made him grasp the person to his torso before his back fell to the hard marble floor. Whoever he crashed into fell safely on his chest, held to him by his arms. He grunted; the person was surprisingly heavier than he thought.

But amidst the aching he felt all over his body, the sweet scent of roses filled his nose. He opened his eyes and saw bright blonde hair.

Chapter End

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**A/N: And Chapter 1 draws its curtains! The prince has met his princess. :)**

**I've been working on the second chapter, so I might be able to publish it on Saturday. Until then, patience! I haven't decided on regular updates, since we have a lot coming up in school(exams, organizing a party, projects, etc.).**

**Leave a little review on your way out, eh? I'd appreciate it. :)**


	3. Chapter 2: Beginnings

**A/N: I am truly sorry for the SUPER LATE update! School projects and, I admit, my laziness got in the way. I also needed some time to fully develop the flow of the story, and I'm thankful I did. Now you can go on and enjoy!**

**Oh, Juvia might be a little OOC here. I really don't know how to write her well! I apologize in advance!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

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**Chapter 2: Beginnings**

"Lucy dear, we've arrived."

The blonde's eyes fluttered open. When she saw how bright it was in the carriage, she abruptly sat up and fixed her gown. _I didn't sleep _that_ long, didn't I?_

It has been nearly 3 weeks since Lucy and her family left for the Fiore Kingdom. The Heartfilia family ruled the Caelles Kingdom, miles away from Fiore. In fact, it was on a whole other continent. It took 2 weeks of sailing to get to Lilian City, the docking city of Fiore. Then it took another week of sailing to reach Magnolia, Fiore's capital city. Now, they were in a luxurious carriage that will carry them to the Saurian Citadel.

"Miss Lucy, your brush," she heard Annabelle, her lady-in-waiting say. She sat in the seat across her. The gentle old woman has been with the family for nearly 20 years, and watched over Lucy and Juvia since they were infants.

"Fix your hair, silly," said the blunette beside her as she reached out to brush the stray strands of golden hair wildly strewn about Lucy's head. She offered to braid Lucy's hair, but Lucy preferred her half-ponytail.

"Thanks, Juvia," Lucy smiled at her sister. "Thank you, Annabelle."

"You sleepyhead," Juvia looked out the carriage window. "Good thing mom woke you in time. Just look at this place!"

Lucy poked her head out the window. She was overwhelmed by the sight.

Lush pine forests and rolling hills spread as far as the eyes could see, very different from all the snow-capped mountains back home. Lucy could see the docks and ships at the shining ocean. She felt the cool The houses were made of rosy brick and Lucy saw the kindly faces of the citizens staring at the elegant carriage. Lucy never expected Magnolia to be this beautiful. Lucy looked up, and at the very top of a sheer cliff, surrounded by evergreens, she saw the glistening Saurian Citadel.

It lived up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful castles in the world. It was also very huge. There were many tall elegant towers and high walls topped with battlements. It looked like a pure diamond of fire with the high sun's rays setting it ablaze. _A home _fit_ for dragons_, Lucy thought.

"_I wonder what kind of people they are," _Lucy had asked her sister 2 weeks before in the room they shared in their mansion. _"You know, with the dragons and stuff."_

"_Now that you mention it, I think they'll resemble dragons in a way," _Juvia had said. _"I imagine them as tall, intimidating people that just by looking at them, you'd respect them in a heartbeat_." _She paused, and pondered for a moment. "Or maybe they're just plain scary."_

Their laughter filled the room.

Now, as she stared at the castle, she started imagining what they were like. When she was younger her father told her that they had extraordinary powers, much like the beast they were named for. Since then, Lucy had always dreamt of winged serpents soaring over the skies.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" said Layla. Lucy averted her gaze from the window to look at her mother, who was seated opposite herself.

Layla Heartfilia stared longingly at the palace, her eyes flickering with excitement.

"I remember when your father first brought me to Saurian Citadel. It's every bit as beautiful as when I first saw it."

"Mom," Juvia started. "Why _are_ we here?"

The Queen stayed silent, as if thinking of what she could possibly say. "You father and I have some... important matters to discuss with the Dragon Lords," she managed to say. "Please understand that that is all I can tell you at the moment."

Juvia's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I understand, mother."

Lucy chuckled. Juvia's always been curious. She didn't like not knowing everything she could. She was always asking questions. She had a knack for mysteries. She and Lucy loved writing stories about the unknown.

Several minutes later, the carriage was pulled to a stop. Lucy, Juvia, and Layla got off the carriage. Lucy spotted her father, Jude Heartfilia, dismounting his carriage as well, along with Fleet Admiral Gildarts and Vice-Admiral Macao.

They were standing in front of humongous wooden doors. Lucy didn't forget to bring her notebook, which had all the ideas for her stories. In a castle as huge and fantastic as this, Lucy figured she wouldn't be short of inspiration.

Juvia tapped her sister's shoulder. "Last one in is a rotten egg."

"What?" before Lucy could react, the doors opened and Juvia was running across the brick bridge and onto the emerald green lawn. The princess' laughter could be heard as she ran. Her gown was as heavy as hers but darn, was she fast.

Not accepting defeat, Lucy ran after her. "Hey! Just you wait, you cheating little.."

"That's the spirit!" Fleet Admiral Gildarts called with a hearty laugh.

Layla and Jude watched as their children sprinted into the castle. "Sometimes, I can't believe they're already 15," the king said.

"Time passes by so quickly, your Majesty," Annabelle sighed. "The young princesses have grown so much."

"But they'll always be children at heart," Layla said, a fond smile on her face. "Come. It's time to meet the Dragon Lords once again."

* * *

Lucy and Juvia panted at the main entrance of the palace. As expected, Juvia was the winner. _If only this gown wasn't so heavy,_ Lucy thought tiredly.

Juvia caught her breath, and looked at her sister. Their eyes met. Then, they laughed. They were happy. Tired, but happy nonetheless.

"Girls, arrange yourselves," Layla commanded, though she was smiling.

Annabelle handed them their brushes and mirrors, and the two started to arrange themselves. When they were done, they straightened their gowns.

They waited until the castle doors opened. They were greeted by an elderly butler and two young maids. They bowed in respect as the royals entered the castle.

Lucy looked around her. They were in a perfectly round room. The dome-like ceiling was so high she strained her eyes trying to trace the carved details on it. The floor they were standing on was made of marble, and at the center of the floor was an intricate circle filled with unreadable symbols and unfamiliar images.

"Hey, Lucy," Juvia said. "Better snap out of it. They're here."

Then she heard a loud thud, and saw the Dragon Lords enter the room.

Juvia sent Lucy a glance. _Wow._

The Dragon Lords were very tall, Lucy guessed that their average height was above 6 feet. They were very different from the images she conjured up of them. She already felt small just being in their presence.

The first one was a woman. _Lady Grandine of the Sky. _Her beautiful oval face looked porcelain and was governed by clear gray eyes, focused and stern. She had light blonde hair that was pinned up in an intricate bun of braids. She was dressed in a flowing white gown adorned with delicate white feathers and gold symbols that Lucy guessed were associated with wind. She stood with such poise that Lucy was suddenly conscious of her posture.

The second one was a large man, and he clearly was the eldest of the three. _Lord Metallicana of Iron. _He was also the most intimidating with his deep red eyes. His clothes were in a palette of blacks and silvers and reds. He had a sharp face that had several metal studs, and his long black hair was tied in a low ponytail, making him look both menacing and cunning, if his deep red eyes weren't already. He was clad in full armour, save for the helmet, which he held with his right hand.

The final one had an air of authority around him. _Lord Igneel of the Flames. _He wore a fur-lined cape of thick red material, which Lucy thought were scales. He seemed to be wearing some sort of armour, but different from the one the second was wearing. He had a short beard trimmed neatly, shaping his face, which was chiselled. His most startling feature was the color of his eyes, which were as black as onyxes.

"Welcome to Fiore," they said in unison.

* * *

"It truly is a pleasure to meet you again," Jude bowed slightly in respect.

"So formal so soon, Jude?" Igneel slapped the man on his back, laughing. The King looked tiny beside the man. "But it is good to see you again."

"Yes it is," Jude said with a grin.

The man turned to the soldiers. "Gildarts! Macao! How have you been?"

Gildarts grinned. "Well, we're still breathing."

"Right you are, sir," said Macao.

"Ah, Layla," said the Lady, showing teeth as white as pearls. She approached the queen, and the two embraced. "How long has it been?"

"Long enough," Layla said when they broke apart.

Grandine looked at the princesses who were silent since they entered the castle. "I believe you are Lucy and Juvia?"

The princesses nodded, flustered looks on their faces. "Yes, ma'am," they both answered.

Grandine turned to Layla. "Such charming ladies you have raised."

Layla laughed softly. "Charming, indeed."

Juvia nudged Lucy when the nobles weren't looking. "If we slip away quietly now, they won't notice us," she whispered.

They slowly inched their way out of sight from the nobles. When they were satisfied, they ran.

"The others will arrive soon," Lord Metallicana's voice was gruff. "We shall wait for them in the dining hall."

Layla approached her daughters. "We'll meet later at lunch. Behave yourselves by then," she squeezed their shoulders before joining the others.

The adults walked away, still engrossed in their conversation, leaving Annabelle and the princesses in the room.

"Can we take a look around the castle, Annabelle?" Lucy pleaded. "Please?"

"We'll be careful not to break anything," Juvia promised.

Annabelle sighed. "Oh, alright. Just remember what your mother said."

"Thank you, Annabelle," Lucy said happily. She and Juvia excitedly ran to a hallway that had many displays of statues and paintings.

"Madame was right," Annabelle said as she fondly stared at the young girls. "They really are children at heart."

* * *

"Take a look at this," Juvia said, she was staring at the wall.

"What is it?" Lucy walked closer to where Juvia was standing. She was staring at a huge tapestry depicting a dragon with deep blue scales soaring over mountaintops. It was in such vivid detail that Lucy took a while before tearing her eyes away from it.

Juvia turned her head and saw another room full of sculptures. "I'll be right back," she said and entered the room.

Lucy decided to do a little exploring of her own.

She kept walking until she reached another vast room with a grand, spiralling staircase. She noticed some engravings on the newel and decided to examine them.

"They look like snakes," Lucy muttered to herself. She moved closer to try and read what looked like words until she heard a small voice yell.

"Natsu, look out!"

Lucy jumped in surprise, and looked up just in time to see a person with pink hair sliding fast on the rail. It took her a moment to realize that he was about to collide with her.

"KYAAAA!" she screamed.

She felt pain in her shoulder as the yelling person slide off the stairs and bump her. She expected to hit the floor, but felt something scaly instead. She could've sworn she felt arms around her, but she was too dizzy to dwell on the fact.

A couple seconds later, the pain started to drift away. She peeked through one eye, and saw that she had landed on a guy. His arms were wrapped around her and she realized that he saved her from the hard floor. Lucy wasn't sure if she was supposed to be grateful or angry. She noticed his hair color, and mentally giggled. _What kind of guy would have pink hair?_

When she heard him groan, she immediately got off of him. Feeling a tiny bit embarrassed and a whole lot guilty, she helped him up.

"I-I'm very sorry about that," she said apologetically.

"Ah, my back," he groaned, rubbing his sore behind. Then he looked at the princess. "You're really heavy, you know."

Lucy blushed in offended anger at this. "What?!"

"Natsu!" a winged cat flew over to the pink-haired boy. "That was dangerous!"

"The cat...talks?" Lucy said to herself. _What the heck?_

"But it was fun, wasn't it?" the boy said with a wide grin.

"It sure was!"

"What kind of person would slide on the stairs with people at the edge? Do you want to kill someone?!" Lucy scolded, completely forgetting the fact that a cat with _wings_ just spoke.

"Who's this, Natsu?" the cat hovered over to the blonde.

"I don't know," he turned and looked her in the eye, chocolate brown clashing with stark black. "What's your name, anyway?"

Lucy couldn't believe this guy. The first thing he said to her was 'you're really heavy' and then he ignores her, only asking her name when the weird cat pointed her out! _The nerve!_

She glared at him, wanting to spit a nasty remark, but remembered her manners. She calmed herself down before answering. "My name's Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia. What's yours?"

For a moment, the guy stared at her, as if he was searching for something. But his serious mood was gone as quickly as it came. "I'm Natsu Dragneel."

* * *

"So, Lucy, where're you from?" Happy asked. Lucy still found the fact that a flying cat existed weird.

The three were sitting on the steps since Natsu's back hurt. Lucy didn't know why, but she was here, having a conversation with people who had just assaulted her. Okay, that was an exaggeration. And Natsu _did_ cushion her fall, so she didn't even have a scratch. Turns out that Natsu was the son of Lord Igneel, which made Lucy even more guilty. But the feeling went away when they started talking. It felt so natural having a conversation with the two, so she decided to forget the previous events.

"I come from the Caelles Kingdom," she replied.

"Oh, so you're the special visitors!" Happy exclaimed. Lucy nodded. "I get it! You're part of the Royal Heartfilia family of Caelles!"

"I did say I was a 'Heartfilia', didn't I?" Lucy said with a sheepish smile.

"Hey, Luigi," Natsu started.

"It's _Lucy_," she corrected, a bit irritated. This was the third time she was correcting the pink-haired boy.

"Why are you here?"

_Did you even listen to me?_ Lucy sighed. "I'd tell you, but I honestly have no real idea why we came. But mom said that they had something to discuss with the Dragon Lords and several 'others' as well. That's all I know."

Natsu looked like he was deep in thought. Then he stood up. "I think it's time we go to the Formal Dining Hall," he looked at the princess. "Come on, Luigi."

Lucy mentally facepalmed. _This was going to be a long day_.

* * *

By the time they reached the grand dining hall, the 2 elegant tables were almost full. The tables faced each other, with one standing over a platform overlooking the other, where the guests sat. Sounds of laughter and people talking filled the room. Juvia rose up from her seat as soon as she saw her sister.

"Hey!" she shouted to get Lucy's attention. "Lucy! Over here!"

Lucy turned and walked over to the blunette. She looked over her shoulder. "Well, I guess I'll see you two later," she told Natsu and Happy.

"Sure!" Happy said. He and Natsu walked away.

"What's up?" Lucy asked casually.

"Lunch," Juvia said with a grin. "Come on, I saved you a seat." Juvia eyed the pink-haired teen she saw Lucy with a couple minutes ago. "You better tell me what _that's _about."

Lucy turned and seeing what Juvia meant and laughed lightly. "You mean Natsu? Sure. I'll fill you in. But later. Let's go."

The two made their way to where their parents were seated and took their seats. The Heartfilia family were seated at the length of a long table with the other guests. The Queen sat with her husband to her right and Lucy to her left. Juvia sat beside her sister.

"Where's Annabelle?" Lucy asked her mother.

"She volunteered to help in the kitchen," the Queen answered. "You know her, always ready to help."

The Dragon family were seated at the separate table parallel to the Guest's Table. The three Dragon Lords sat at the middle of the table. There were 8 people occupying the table all in all.

Lucy could see Natsu sitting beside a beautiful white-haired woman with violet eyes. Lucy chuckled to herself. _A red-haired father and a white-haired mother. No wonder he's pink._

Doors opened, and servants poured in with delicious-smelling food on numerous carts. Steaks, stews, soups, fruits and many other dishes were laid on the table, the guests being free to pick whichever food they preferred.

_._ As Lucy sipped from her glass of Cranberry juice, Juvia tapped her shoulder. "So you're friends with Lord Igneel's son," she said.

Lucy gave a small smile. "More like acquaintances. He literally crashed into me at the stairs about an hour ago."

"What?" Juvia said, her brow knitting in worry. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, really. After all, Natsu cushioned my fall. Good thing none of us broke anything."

"What an unexpected gentleman," Juvia thought out loud. A sly smile formed on her pale face.

Lucy knew all too well what that smile meant.

"Hey, don't get any bright ideas," the blonde said, her eyes narrowing.

"What do you mean, sis?" Juvia asked innocently.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at her sister. Something was up in that girl's brain.

* * *

The cheery atmosphere in the Dining Hall was completely gone by the time everyone was in the Citadel's Conference Room. Mind you, only the adults were in the room. The children were sent to the Guest Room. This was a private meeting and any sort of interference was banned. It was time to get down to business.

Everyone was seated in high rising chairs at the large round table of polished wood. An large map lay at the center of the table. The faces of the nobles were stern as they stared at the paper. Silence took over the room.

Lord Igneel's deep voice broke it. "Commander Scarlet, report."

An armour-clad man whose red hair was streaked with gray rose, and with a long straight stick, he tapped at a region depicted on the map.

"I have received reports from General Luine that Bosco has been receiving a series of attacks from unknown armies, both on the Northern side and the Eastern side," he says. "They've become more frequent over the past 2 weeks."

"What about these armies?" asked a woman with short black hair. She was Ur, Ur of the Ice. "Surely Bosco would have found their headquarters by now. Bosco has one of the finest military force in Magnus Terra."

"Yes, they did find it," Commander Scarlet said with a nod. "Their Intel pointed to an area within the Piedras Mountains. But when they got "Yes, they did find it," General Scarlet said with a nod. "Their Intel pointed to an area within the Piedras Mountains. 3,000 soldiers were sent, including mages. But when they arrived, it was deserted. The enemy left no trace."

"How is Bosco now?" asked Layla.

General Scarlet shook his head. "Bosco has suffered a large amount of damage and loss. It is doing its best to recover. Which explains why King Julian is not is not with us."

Fleet Admiral Gildarts Clive stood. "Not only Bosco," he leaned over the map. "but Minstrel and Bellum have also been experiencing these attacks. Many towns in the Siccabian region of Eremus have also been destroyed, as well as parts of the Orine Islands."

"Orine Islands?" exclaimed a man with deep blue hair and glasses. "Then that means the enemy has a Naval Force! We're not just dealing with some rebel movement, are we?"

"I'm sorry to say, Sir Marvell, but yes," General Clive said. "We are dealing with a serious threat."

More reports were added to the ever-growing list of destruction. Vice Admiral Conbolt marked off destroyed areas on the map with red ink. Hours later, after much more reports from other generals, about two-thirds of Magnus Terra was covered in red marks.

"This is a serious problem," Ur muttered. "It's spread across the land."

"And in a span of merely 3 weeks," King Jude said, his face unreadable.

"Fiore and Caelles haven't been attacked yet," Lady Grandine's voice was deeper than usual, her face had a grave expression. "But I am sure we are the next targets."

"It has been confirmed," Lord Igneel stood. "At this rate, war is inescapable."

For the first time, the short old man wearing a pointed hat spoke, being silent the whole time since the meeting started.

"There is just one problem, child," he began. He stared Lord Igneel right in the eye. "Who exactly are about to face?"

* * *

**A/N: And that's Chapter 2! I know it isn't worth the time, but it's all I have. **

**I apologize for any mistakes. On the bright side, our Semester Break is coming, so I'll have lots of time to write! Yay!**

**Oh, right. Quarter Exams are in 2 weeks. CURSE YOU EXAMINATIONS!**


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